I thought I would check the Vetus Latina manuscripts (a helpful list can be found here) to see what they actually say it when it comes to the Johannine Comma. I should point out that while these manuscripts have been characterized by someone as Old Latin manuscripts and given a "VL" designation, all of these manuscripts are later than Jerome's translation. I am not sure whether anyone has checked/verified whether the text is in fact Vetus Latina, either in general or specifically for the text of 1 John. It is always possible that these manuscripts have been characterized based on having at least one section that is VL, or that they have been mischaracterized. As this is a research-intensive post, it is quite possible that it will be updated from time to time, possibly without formally identifying each update. The initial version of the article covered: VL 6, 7, 51, 54, and 61, of which VL 7, 51, and 61 are witnesses against the JC.
One of the largest and most expensive Bibles ever produced is Codex Gigans, a 13th century manuscript produced in area that is now part of the Czech Republic. It is part of the "Vetus Latina" family and is referred to by the manuscript designation, "VL 51 (gig)." It does not only include Biblical texts but also Isidore of Seville's Etymologies, among other things.
At 1 John 5:7-8, the manuscript has this:
The text reads:
qui tres sunt qui testumonium dant spiritus et aqua et sanguis et tres unum sunt.
Codex Sangermanensis primus is dated to around 810. It is referrred to as "VL 7 (g1)." It is available from the Paris library (
link).
The Latin text is:
qui tres sunt qui testumonium dant spiritus, aqua, et sanguis et tres unum sunt.
Codex Colbertinus is dated to the 12th century and referred to as "VL 6 (c)." It is available from the Paris library (
link).
The Latin text is:
qui tres sunt qui testumonium dant spiritus et aqua et sanguis et tres unum sunt. Et tres sunt qui testimonium dicunt in celo pater, verbum, et spiritus sanctus. Et hi tres unum sunt.
Codex Perpinianensis is dated to the second half of the 12th century and referred to as "VL 54 (p)." It is available from the French library (
link).
The Latin text is:
qui tres sunt qui testumonium dant in terra spiritus aqua et sanguis et tres unum sunt. Et [some damage/erasure change here] tres sunt qui testimonium dicunt in celo pater, verbum, spiritus sanctus. Et hii tres unum sunt.
The Liber Ardmachanus or Book of Armagh is dated to 807/08 and is referred to as "VL 61 (ar, D)."
Book of Armaugh is available in a full scan from the Trinity College, Dublin.
A sort of facsimile via Archive.org provides the following "transcription":
quia -iii- sunt qu'i' testimonium dant spiritus eiaqua c/sanguis et •iii' unum Sunt
I would suggest instead:
quia III sunt qui testimonium dant spiritus et aqua et sanguis et III unum sunt
I may expand this post in the future, as noted at the beginning of the post.
Frisingensia Fragmenta (aka Freising Fragments) include a few folios dated to first half of the 7th century and containing (in fragmentary form) 1 John 5:7-8. The designation for this is "VL 64":
The text of 1 John 5:7-8 is mostly lost, but one can see the "in terra" and "in caelo," which suggests that *some form* of the JC was present.
For future study:
2 comments:
I will also add that I've looked at both VL 62 and 65 and they do not contain the Comma Johanneum, although VL 65's text was supplied in the later 9th century.
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